Chat room safety

The online social world is just like the 'real world' and offers the same opportunities for friendships and fun‚ but also many of the same problems.

Once you know the online 'Rules of the Road' you can take advantage of all the things the internet can offer‚ knowing how to protect yourself.

Never give out your personal details – your home address‚ telephone number‚ full name‚ etc. Most people you meet online are there‚ like you‚ for a chat and nothing more‚ but you don’t always know who you are talking to‚ or who might be ‘listening’ in‚ so it’s best to guard your privacy.
Be aware that people might not always be who they say they are. One disadvantage of chatting online is that we can’t see who we’re speaking to‚ and whilst we have no reason to believe that someone would lie to us‚ it is important to remember that if someone was so inclined‚ they could be dishonest.
If you do make friends online and decide that you want to meet face to face‚ always ensure that someone knows where you are and that you meet in a public place. Even better‚ take a friend along with you!
Never say anything in a chat room that you wouldn’t say in public. You can chat perfectly naturally‚ just as you might if you were chatting with someone face to face‚ but remember not to say anything which you might later regret‚ or which you would feel uncomfortable with others knowing what you said.

As long as you follow these few simple guidelines for chatting you will be able to make the most of the opportunities for social contact and meeting new friends online.

Our online chat rooms and discussion forums are a great way to make new friends and have fun chatting safely online.

Have a look at our:

Baby boomer bistro - a live chat room where you can meet and chat with other users
Discussion forum - post messages and ask other users questions on a number of subjects.